font size="6"New Life/font/br
font size="5"Friends/font
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pfont size="2"biDisclaimer: The characters of Joey and Pacey are not mine. They will never be mine unfortunatly. If they were I wouldn't be sitting here writing less that stellar fan fiction. I would be in Wilmington saying that Joey and Pacey is a GOOD idea.

pProps: Thanks to Cassie for Beta reading this for me. I found it.=)

pAuthor's Note: I think that this story has progressed. It's not as good or as far as I'd like to be with it, but it's coming along. And I would like to say thank you so much to all those who have sent me feedback. It has been greatly appreciated. /B/i/font

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picenter
Bright light almost blinding,/Br
Black night still there shining,/Br
I can't stop, keep on climbing,/Br
Looking for what I knew./Br
Had a friend, she once told me,/Br
"You got love, you ain't lonely,"/Br
Now she's gone and left me only/Br
Looking for what I knew./Br
Mmm, I'm telling you now,/Br
The greatest thing you ever can do now,/Br
Is trade a smile with someone who's blue now,/Br
It's very easy just./Br
Met a man on the roadside crying,/Br
Without a friend, there's no denying,/Br
You're incomplete, they'll be no finding/Br
Looking for what you knew./Br
So anytime somebody needs you,/Br
Don't let them down, altho' it grieves you,/Br
Some day you'll need someone like they do,/Br
Looking for what you knew./Br
Mmm, I'm telling you now,/Br
The greatest thing you ever can do now,/Br
Is trade a smile with someone who's blue now,/Br
It's very easy just...ooh, yeah. /Br
~Friends/Br
~Led Zeppelin/Br
/center/i

pHR

pJoey and Pacey sat in the chairs by the pool talking blissfully about the past and of the fun they had when they were growing up. Both agreed that things happened that made their lives harder, but they've come out better people because of it. Joey fully explained the whole Dawson situation and it completely blew his mind that the innocent, modest, little Dawson that was always too afraid to discuss his sex life with him, had cheated on her in her own home. It made him sick. How could he do that? He never thought about other women when Veronica was alive.

pPacey suddenly felt that wave of guilt hit him again. But three months after she died he's fantasizing about Joey. He loved Veronica. He always would. Was it completely wrong for him to find another woman attractive? And the fact that it was Joey wasn't helping matters any. She really hadn't changed much. She had the same smile, a smile that had always warmed his heart in years past. Her eyes were still the same mysterious brown that had captured his attention. Those eyes that could set a man's soul on fire. The same long brown hair. The smoothness of it he remembered. He remembered sitting with her while she cried, smoothing it down offering the little bit of comfort that he could. He hated to see her cry. That was one thing that always infuriated him about Dawson. He could always make her cry. He then looked at the rest of her body. She might have gotten a little taller. Her legs were still the same as he remembered. Long, slender, perfect. Her stomach was flat, her hips were round, and from what he could tell, everything else looked like it filled out quite nicely.

pPacey shook his head a little, trying to shake the thoughts out of his head. He wasn't supposed to have these kind of feelings for a woman ever again. Veronica was his soul mate. With her died all his hope. Or so he thought. Seeing Joey again was like some sort of sign. He knew that it meant something, but what?

pPacey realized that Sam was standing in front of his chair with something behind her back. He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. She walked up next to his chair and bent to him and kissed him on the nose.

pThe next thing he knew, Sam had dumped a pale of water all over his stomach. Pacey jumped up quickly, grabbing a towel and quickly drying himself off. Pacey saw Sam, Noah, and Joey all laughing. Sam and Noah he let go, not Joey.

p"You think that's funny?"

p"No. I think it's hilarious." She said in between laughs.

p"Sam, can I have that bucket?"

pJoey quickly got up from her seat and backed away from him. "Pacey Witter you wouldn't dare!"

p"Throw water on you? You're right, I wouldn't. Throw you in on the other hand..."

p"You stay away from me!" She screamed still laughing.

pNoah and Sam watched enjoying the fact that someone was going to get thrown in the pool. They looked at each other and then back at their parents who seemed to be acting like children. Sam liked seeing her dad have fun.

pNoah hadn't seen his mom laugh like that in a long time. She seemed so happy. It was about time she started smiling again.

pPacey clasped Joey's wrist in his hand and pulled her towards the pool. She was going into that water no matter what. Joey tried to wiggle out of his hand and almost succeeded until he wrapped his other arm around her waist and picked her up.

p"PACEY WITTER LET ME GO!"

p"Not on your life."

pPacey had Joey at the edge of the pool and set her down. He then gave her a smile and gave the tinniest push. Before he had the chance to realize what had happened, Joey had grabbed his wrist and he was falling in after her.

pPacey came to the surface and awaited for her to come up. She finally surfaced and wiped the water out of her face.

p"Jerk." she said splashing water at him.

p"Me? You pulled me in!"

p"You pushed me!"

p"You laughed!"

p"It was funny."

pThe two kids were sitting on the side of the pool giggling. Joey and Pacey turned around to see what was so funny. They were pointing and laughing and their parents who were acting like three year olds.

p"What are you two laughing at?" Joey asked.

p"You." Piped up Sam.

p"Us?"

p"Yeah."

p"Why are we funny?" Pacey asked.

p"'Cause."

p"'Cause why?"

p"You fell in the pool."

p"Oh and that's funny?"

p"Yes."

pNoah then whispered in Sam's ear. She started giggling again. Pacey and Joey just looked at the two confused. Noah stopped whispering in her ear.

p"Mom?"

p"What?"

p"Can they stay for dinner?"

p"Yeah can we?" asked Sam.

p"Sam. You don't invite yourself."

p"I didn't. Noah did."

p"I'm sure they have better things to do than stay here and eat with us."

p"No we don't." Answered Sam.

p"Sam!"

pJoey then turned to Pacey. "Well? Do you want to stay for dinner?"

p"Can we please Daddy?"

p"Depends."

p"On what?"

p"On what you're making."

p"Pasta and meatballs."

pPacey smiled. "What time is dinner served?"

pHR

pAfter Pacey and Sam stayed for another few hours, he finally coaxed her into going home and changing clothes. Sam, after quickly changing, rushed into her fathers room and plopped down on the bed in front of him. Pacey grabbed the comb from his night stand and proceeded to get the tangles out. That was the only bad thing about her going swimming, her hair was always hard to get combed through. He hated doing it too. She would start crying and it made his heart hurt to see her cry.

pPacey finally got through the long dirty blonde hair and braided it. Most of the time he'd just leave it down for her, but she hated wet hair on her face. She then turned around and propped herself on her knees. She smiled at him and started giggling.

pHe couldn't help but smile. "What's so funny?"

p"I was just thinkin' 'bout Miss Joey pullin' you in the pool."

p"Sam that wasn't funny," he said trying his hardest to be stern. He failed. She was so cute when she laughed. Her whole face lit up and it made him feel like he was the luckiest man in the world to have a daughter who was so beautiful and smart and wonderful. He just thanked God that he still had her.

p"It was funny. You should have seen your face..." she did an impression, dropping her jaw in a surprised gesture. He started laughing. She was so precious.

p"You're laughing, Daddy."

p"So are you."

pSam stopped laughing, "Can we go now? Please?"

p"You really like them, don't you?"

p"Yes. Noah, he's goofy. And Joey is funny too. She pulled you in the pool."

p"I think we've covered that."

p"So can we go?"

pPacey snatched Sam off the bed, holding her under his arm like a football. She started laughing hysterically. He carried her all the way out of the house like that. He put Sam in the car, and then gave her a kiss on the forehead.

p"Love you, Daddy."

p"I love you too."

phr

pPacey and Sam once again made their way up the front steps of Joey's house. Noah, who had been watching them come up the walk, opened the front door. An old familiar song was playing through the house. Pacey cringed his face when he realized what it was.

p"Mommy's in the kitchen. Sam, you wanna see my room?"

p"Yeah."

p"Come on."

pSam and Noah left Pacey standing in the middle of the living room. He then made his way to the kitchen, where he heard the awful sound of Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" floating through the air.

pPacey peeped into the kitchen and saw Joey, who was singing every word, dancing and cooking at the same time. She looked even better than she did earlier that day. She was wearing a white sun dress with tiny yellow sunflowers on it. She had her hair piled on her head in a bun and was wearing a pair of reading glasses. She wasn't yet aware of his presence so he just stood and watched as she moved across the kitchen in some very salsa like moves. The song soon ended, much to Joey's dismay.

p"Damn."

p"And continuing on with our Latin explosion celebration that happened about ten years ago...here's Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana with SMOOOOOOOTH."

p"I love this song."

pPacey remembered the first time he ever heard this song. The four musketeers, as they began to refer to themselves, were all at Dawson's on the Fourth Of July, laying on the docks, and then they heard that awesome guitar rift that was all his own. And everyone was hooked on it.

pcenter
iMan, it's a hot one/Br
Like seven inches from the midday sun/Br
I hear you whispering the words that melt everyone/Br
But you stay so cool./i/Br
/center

p"When did you get here?" Joey asked, bringing him out of his reverie.

p"About the third time Ricky said "Living La Vida Loca". Why?"

p"Just curious."

pJoey took this opportunity to look at Pacey's attire. His black tee shirt clung to his chest, torso, and arms. His khaki cargo pants were tight in all the right places. Seeing Pacey again was giving her the need for a cold shower. Not to mention the thought of him earlier in his bathing suit was still fresh on her mind. She remembered how toned everything was, and it was making her flush.

p"Want some help?"

p"No."

p"You sure? I'd be happy to taste test your sauce."

p"No thank you."

p"Oh come on. Please," he said sticking out his bottom lip.

p"No."

p"Daddy...you should see Noah's room."

p"Why?"

p"Go look at it. It's so cool."

pJoey was smiling at Sam. "Sam, how would you like to be my official taste tester."

p"Hey!"

p"Hey yourself. Go! Get out of the kitchen!"

pJoey pulled up a stool to the island in the middle of the kitchen. Pacey left the two in the kitchen. Joey was still the same. Nothing has changed and he was happy to see it. Pacey made his way up the stairs and soon heard Noah making crashing noises. Pacey followed the sound and soon found himself in Noah's room.

p"Hey, Noah. Whatcha doing?"

p"Playing with my cars."

pPacey then took a look around Noah's room. On one wall, there was E.T. with a flower pot in his hand. On another wall there was a picture of E.T. with a blanket over his head in Elliot's bicycle flying across the moon. On the wall next to Noah's bed there was a picture of Gertie kissing E.T. on the face. And on the wall behind him, Elliot and E.T. touching fingers. Pacey was astonished in how detailed the paintings were.

p"Noah, did your mom do these?"

p"Yes sir."

p"These are great."

p"You like E.T.?"

p"Yeah. Do you?"

p"It's my favorite. I go to sleep every night with Mommy watchin' it."

p"You're mommy really likes that movie."

p"She said it used to be her favorite."

p"What's her favorite now?"

p"Steel Flowers."

pPacey looked confused. 'Steel Flowers'? He'd never heard of it.

p"Steel Flowers? What's that about?"

p"That Shelby girl dies. And those old ladies are always fightin' and there's a dog that's loosing it's hair."

pPacey then realize what movie he was talking about. "Steel Magnolias?"

p"Yeah. She always cries when she watches that movie. Why does she watch it if she cries?"

p"Let me tell you something about the female of the species. They're strange. Why do they watch movies that make them cry is something that no man understands."

p"Why are they strange?"

p"Don't know. That's just what God wanted them to be."

p"Pacey..."

p"What?"

p"Did you know my daddy?"

p"Yep."

p"What was he like?"

p"Dawson...he was a dreamer. He always had big hopes and dreams. He wanted to be a director like Steven Speilberg. And the last time I saw him, he and your mommy were very happy." Pacey paused for a minute. "Does your mom not tell you about him?"

p"No. Everytime I ask he she says she'll tell me later and never does."

p"What do you want to know?"

p"Was he funny?"

p"At times."

p"What does he look like? I don't really remember."

p"He looks just like you. I knew who's son you were when I saw you."

p"Did he like movies?"

p"They were his passion. He really like E.T., but I think that his favorite was the Indiana Jones movies. He liked the action in it."

p"How did you meet my mommy?"

pPacey sat and thought a minute. He hadn't thought about it in a very long time. But now, as he sat there with Noah he remembered clear as day how he met Joey.

piHe was in the sand box when he was about four years old. He was playing with his G.I. Joe's when this brown-headed girl with pigtails walked up to him and sat down next to him in the sand. She was eyeing him strangely, like he had something growing off his face. He remembered smiling at her and she smiled that half smile, for when she got older, it became her trade mark.

p"Hey." he said first.

p"Hey."

p"What's your name?"

p"Joey."

p"That's a boy's name."

p"It is not. It's my name."

p"That's a boys name."

p"What's your name?"

p"Pacey." He said like it was the most common name in the world.

p"What kinda name is Pacey?"

p"A good one."

p"Yeah. Right."

p"Oh and Joey is better than Pacey?"

p"Yep."

p"Your parents must have wanted a boy if they named you Joey."

p"My real name's Josephine. But I hate that so they call me Joey."

p"Oh. You wanna play with my G.I. Joe's?"

p"Yeah."/i

pThere first meeting. It was strange but he remembered it like it was yesterday. The pigtails, the torn jeans, the dirty face. She was tomboy through and through. It surprised him that he could remember every detail of it.

p"So you played with my mommy."

p"Yeah."

p"Are you going to be here a long time?"

p"Here in Capeside? Yeah."

p"Good."

pHR

pJoey was standing in the kitchen with Sam watching her intently. Joey gave the little girl a smile and she returned it coyly. When she looked at Sam, she didn't really see much of Pacey. She didn't see that happy-go-lucky spirit that was associated to Pacey when he was a child. She did see a lot of tomboy though. She saw this little girl that, at times, probably wished she was a boy.

p"So...can your dad cook?"

p"Yep. He makes good hamburgers and French fries."

p"I bet. Who braided your hair?"

p"Daddy."

p"Really?"

p"Mmmhmm."

p"He did a really good job." Joey stirred her sauce and continued her conversation with Sam. Sam seemed like a very sweet and intelligent child. Joey knew the pain that went along with loosing a mother and she sympathized with the child.

p"Miss Joey, how long have you known my daddy?"

pJoey thought for a minute. Most of her life she's had to deal with Pacey's constant picking on her and always, some how, being there when she needed him. She didn't know how much she really missed having Pacey around until he left and there was no one left for her to talk to besides Dawson.

p"Let's see...I've known your dad for about nineteen years."

p"That's a long time."

p"Yes it is."

p"Did you know him when he was little?"

p"Yes. He always pulled my hair."

p"He did?"

p"Yep. He was really mean to me when we were little."

p"He was your friend?"

p"Yep. It's weird I know but...that's just how we got along."

p"You fought?"

p"All the time."

pSam was quiet for a minute. The child seemed like she wanted to ask something but was afraid to. She started biting on her lower lip and realized that she'd gotten one of Pacey's traits after all.

p"Miss Joey?"

p"Hmmm?"

p"Did you know my mom?"

pJoey wasn't expecting that question. She'd only heard through the grapevine that Pacey had gotten married. She wasn't even invited to the wedding, which in ways, made her think that Pacey wanted to forget anything and everything about his home in Capeside.

p"No sweetie, I didn't. What was she like?"

p"She was very pretty. Her hair was the same color of mine and I have her nose. She was kinda tall and kinda short. She was shorter than you. And she always smelled good. She was nice to everybody. Then she died and left me and my daddy all alone."

p"Sam, I'm going to tell you a secret. Can you keep a secret?" With the child's nod she continued, "When I was thirteen, my mom died too. Except she died of cancer. Do you know what cancer is?" The child shook her head no and Joey took a deep breath. "Cancer is a disease that eats away...never mind. She was the sweetest person in the world and she always smelled like cookies. But then she told me and my sister that she was dying and there was nothing that the doctors could do. About a month later she died. I cried forever. But you do you know who could always make me laugh and cheer up? Your daddy. He'd start singing the most annoying songs and make goofy faces at me and he'd have me laughing in no time." Joey sat down on the stool next to Sam and faced the little girl. "If you ever feel sad or upset, don't let it just sit. Tell your daddy. And if you ever want to talk, I'm hear to listen okay?"

p"Okay."

pJoey smiled. "Okay."

pJoey knew what the child was going through. That feeling of not knowing what the future will bring if it takes away one of the most important people in your world. Why was it always the little children that had to suffer. They seemed to be the ones who delt with everything. But in ways, Joey supposed that it just made them the head-strong adults that they turned out to be. The more she thought about that the more she realized that she was the way she was today because of the things that she'd lived through when she was younger. Pacey too. He seemed very protective of Sam. Probably because of the way his father always treated him badly, he felt the need to compensate that into him raising his own child.

pBut Joey wasn't the type of person to pass judgment onto other people. She out of everyone in the world knew what it was like to have people judge her and tell her that she was doing things wrong. Dawson was one of those people. He always used to tell her what looked bad in one of her paintings instead of what was great about it. She soon learned to despise him for it. She didn't know exactly when it happened but she had fallen out of love with him before she ever caught him cheating.

pThat was what probably hurt her the most. The fact that he didn't respect her enough to keep it in his pants and not sleep with one of her best friends. What really hurt her was that she caught him in her own bed. The image had never been erased from her mind. Dawson had been the only one she'd ever made love to and that didn't seem to matter to him. Joey knew that she would never be able to do something like that to someone she loved and trusted. As much as she grew to loathe Dawson, she never would have considered cheating on him. It never would have crossed her mind. And it never did. And since Dawson there had been nobody worth mentioning. A boyfriend here and a boyfriend there, but none she felt like she care about enough that she would sleep with them.

pAs she stood there cooking, she returned back to the thoughts of Pacey earlier that day. She remembered every muscle in his stomach and chest. She felt a type of heat she'd never felt before. The more she thought about things the more she realized that she'd never been in lust before. And when she saw Pacey earlier that day, she knew that lust was what made her have the thoughts she'd had. It made her feel so...something that she wasn't aware that she could feel. But then Joey felt a twinge of guilt. It was more than a twinge it was more like a huge boulder of guilt weighing on her conscience now. Pacey, who had disappeared in her house, was by no means ready for any sort of relationship, especially one that would inevitably confuse his daughter. That wouldn't help anyone in this situation. And from what she's seen from the way he acted when he mentioned her, he wouldn't be ready for any sort of relationship anytime soon.

phr

pcenter
To Be Continued...
/center